XN000022-1976-06-20 — Page 1

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香港政府

GIS 新聞處

DAILY INFORMATION BULLETIN

SUNDAY, JUNE 20, 1976

APPLICATIONS FOR CHILD ADOPTION BACKLOG VIRTUALLY CLEARED *****

THE ADOPTION UNIT OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS VIRTUALLY CLEARED THE BACKLOG OF APPLICATIONS FOR CHILD ADOPTION.

THE WAITING PERIOD OR THE TIME IT TAKES FOR A CASE TO BE CONSIDERED AND PROCESSED HAS BEEN REDUCED FROM THREE TO FOUR YEARS SEVERAL YEARS AGO TO THREE TO SIX MONTHS AS AT PRESENT.

THE OFFICER-IN-CHARGE OF THE ADOPTION UNIT, MRS. KWOK LUI SHUK-YING, SAID THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR WAS COMPARATIVELY HIGHER THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS.

THERE WERE 67 CHILDREN AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION IN 1973-74 AND 53 IN 1974-75. THE FIGURE ROSE TO 83 IN 1975-76.

THESE CHILDREN, MAINLY ILLEGITIMATE, ARE BETWEEN EIGHT AND 18 MONTHS OLD.

IN VIEW OF THIS INCREASE. THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN ADOPTED THROUGH THE HELP OF THE UNIT WENT UP SLIGHTLY.

IN 1973-74, 38 CHILDREN WERE ADOPTED LOCALLY COMPARED WITH 40 IN 1974-75 AND 49 IN 1975-76,

EXPLAINING THE ADOPTION PROCEDURES, MRS. KWOK SAID, +INTENDING APPLICANTS MUST BE LEGALLY MARRIED COUPLES AND PRIORITIES ARE GIVEN TO THOSE WITHOUT A CHILD OF THEIR OWN.

THE APPLICATIONS ARE PROCESSED BY THE ADOPTION WORKERS OF THE UNIT WHO WILL ASSIST THE APPLICANTS TO UNDERSTAND THE LAW AND PROCEDURES OF ADOPTION.

THE ADOPTION WORKERS WILL MAKE A DETAILED STUDY OF THE APPLICANTS THROUGH INTERVIEWS AND HOME VISITS AND THE RECORD OF THE CHILDREN AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION IN ORDER TO MAKE A SUITABLE MATCH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE APPLICANTS' WISHES.

+APPLICANTS WILL FIRST BE FULLY INFORMED OF THE CHILD'S BACKGROUND AND MEDICAL HISTORY, + MRS. KWOK SAID.

THEY WILL THEN MEET THE CHILD A FEW TIMES AT THE CHUK YUEN CHILDREN'S RECEPTION CENTRE OR THE INSTITUTION WHERE THE CHILD IS RESIDING. BUT FOR SPECIAL CASES AND FOR OLDER CHILDREN THE FIRST MEETING WILL BE MORE PREFERRABLY ARRANGED IN A PARK.

Issued by Government Information Services, Beaconsfield House, Hong Kong. Tel: SARDER, THE

PRH 7